Nowadays, you see them worn down the ramp by world-renowned supermodels. You see some of the most sought-after celebrities walking in them. They have undeniably become a must-have fashion piece and every fashionista is sure to have at least a pair in her closet. - We are of course referring to the Roman Sandals. But how exactly has this footwear even started?



Along with the early inhabitants of India, the ancient Romans were the first group of people to develop a variety of footwear. The early Mesopotamians, or those who lived in the region centered in the area of Iraq, the Greeks and the Egyptians did not bother going on barefoot or settling for a simple sandals as their dominant form of footwear. The climate in these areas made the sandal options very reasonable but the more variable climate of the Italian peninsula made going barefoot truly uncomfortable. The Italian area was home to the Etruscans and the Romans. Because of the discomforts that they had to deal when walking on naked feet, the Romans and the Etruscans developed a wide range of footwear styles. This included light sandals which can be used for indoor wear and heavy boots for travel, colder climates and even military use. Regardless of the footwear type, leather was the primary material. It was widely used in ancient Roman – it was because of the convenience to leather as a material that made the Romans highly-skilled when making quality leather sandals. - And then the Roman sandal was born.

It was the Etruscans, the people who preceded the Romans, who first started the attempt to sandal-making. They were believed to wear light sandals, leather boots held closed with leather straps and slippers made of cloth. It is said that the Etruscans have succeeded in developing various styles of sandals but due to the very few records made available to us, we know very little about the the Etruscan footwear to date. Historians think that they adapted footwear styles from the Far East and from the Greeks or maybe from the societies of India.

For the Romans, on the other hand, the most basic outdoor footwear was the calceus. A variation of the present-day Roman sandal, the calceus covered the entire foot was held closed with leather laces called thongs. Another type of the Roman sandal was the crepida. The crepida covered the side and the back part of the foot and could be worn in several ways. The solea was another form of sandals that the Romans wore indoors. This was a light shoe made of leather or woven papyrus leaves. It was held to the foot with a simple strap across the top of the foot or the instep. Another indoor shoe was the soccus. The soccus, also a form of the Roman sandals is a loose leather slipper.

During the Roman history, the basic types of Roman footwear were prevalently made and worn but through time, several changes in the footwear particularly on the Roman sandals became visible. To date, they come in various colors, various materials and a wide range of even more daring designs. They are worn by the big wigs of the fashion industry as well as by Tinseltown's finest.